But after a one-day trial at Portsmouth County Court, District Judge Charles Ackroyd cut those claims down – with Mr Smith ordered to pay Mr Cobb more than £12,000. Mr Smith’s claim was reduced to £1,382.

The court heard the pair’s arguments stemmed from Mr Cobb setting up Gosport Festivals Ltd after being invited to help run the event by Mr Smith, 59, of St Thomas’s Road in Gosport.

The judge said: ‘Mr Smith began to suspect Mr Cobb was using money for the event for his own purposes.

‘He feared he was taking charge of the event, which was probably inevitable.’

He added: ‘Mr Smith was involved for altruistic reasons, the same cannot be said for Mr Cobb.

‘Indeed there came a time when Mr Smith made a complaint to the police but police took no action.’